Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a truck mounted brake system for railcars and, in particular, to a brake system having an assembly that is mounted on the railcar on either side of the bolster and extends under the bolster.
Description of Related Art
Typical truck mounted brake systems include a pair of brake beams mounted to the railcar truck on either side of the bolster. A brake cylinder is disposed on one of the brake beams, or mounted to the bolster and is connected to both brake beams via a linkage arrangement to actuate the brake beams to move such that the brake head/shoe arrangements at each end of the brake beams moves into engagement with the wheels. The linkage arrangement typically passes through the bolster, which requires a large cast window be formed in the bolster to pass the linkage arrangement through the bolster. For bolsters without large cast windows, the linkage arrangement may pass under the bolster.
A slack adjuster is also provided in the system to prevent over-extension of the piston from the brake cylinder as the brake shoes wear during use. The slack adjuster, when disposed on the same brake beam as the brake cylinder, causes a weight imbalance between the brake beams. The uneven weight distribution between the brake beams can lead to uneven wear of the brake shoes.